ANGLO AMER: the little I know
Lately I have had conversations with a few pen friends abut the history of the Anglo Amer brand. A few of them are doing extensive research on this brand and are investigating the connections between the German, British and Italian markets.
I am convinced that only the exchange of information can contribute to the growth and development of pen knowledge. For this reason I am pubishing here the little information I have gathered on this brand, so that it can be of help or stimulus to other passionate pen people to further research this brand.
The origin of the Anglo Amer brand are to be found in Germany, where the Anglo Amer company was founded in 1903, in Munich.
During the following decades, Anglo Amer pens spread in Europe and in particular in Great Britain and in Italy.
The Anglo Amer name is in fact present on a number of ebonite pens whose style and design seem to confirm different productive origins.
Safety models and lever fillers are known, both in black and mottled hard rubber.
The history of this brand in Italy is directly connected to the activity of the Cavaliere Company of Milan as shown by the imprint on the barrels of Anglo Amer safety pens which contains Cavaliere’s symbol, the outline of a horseshoe.
The outline of the horseshoe is only present on Italian Anglo Amer pens, while other ebonite models have a different imprint on the barrel.
It is evident that the two imprints have nothing in common apart from the brand name. In addtioni, the Italian imprint with the horse shoe suggests two words Anglo - Amer, while the other imprint is a single word.
It is not clear if the Italian brand was directly connected to the German company and Cavaliere was a kind of distributor for the Italian market or if it was a totally Italian trade mark .
Anglo Amer pens found in Italy have omonimous 14 ct gold nibs with the Anglo Amer name, which suggests a well structured production and distribution line.
The indication "New York" on the nibs is of very little help as it was fashionable in Italy in the 1920's to pretend that most pens were of foreign origin even if they were 100% manufactured in Italy.
Anglo Amer pens with overlay are rather common in Italy and they are generally pens of very high quality. The Cavaliere Company was a major producer of overlays for Waterman and Parker and the Anglo Amer pens reflect the elegance, quality and style of these major brands.
Very often Anglo Amer overlays are found on Parker and Waterman models with the Anglo Amer imprint on cap lip and omonimous gold nibs.
Anglo Amer safety pens with overlay are also known, produced in three sizes.
These models were often advertized together with Waterman pens throrugh mail catalogues and publications of the time.
Many Anglo Amer overlays are known which are very similar to Waterman’s and they all can be ascribed to the Cavaliere workshop in Milan. In some cases overlays are very similar and differ from one another just for minor details, as for instance in the two pens shown in these pictures.
These two pens are not identical but very similar.
The one with the clip is marked Waterman while the ring top is marked Anglo Amer. The pattern of decoration changes only in the high relief inserts and the Waterman barrel has a very light facetted outline.
Both overlays have most probably been produced by the Cavaliere workshop.
Here one of the many ads published at the time, where different brands of overlays were advertized together.
Here one of the many ads published at the time, where different brands of overlays were advertized together.
credits:
personal collection, Mario Pinelli, Fabio Balestri
